Official Gazette for February 1, 1971: PRESIDENT MARCOS conferred on Ambassador Federico Barrera Fuentes, Mexican envoy to the Philippines, the Order of Sikatuna, rank of Lakan, in a ceremony at Malacañang.
Present at the ceremony were First Lady Mrs. Imelda R. Marcos, members of the Cabinet headed by Secretary of Foreign Affairs Carlos P. Romulo, members of the diplomatic corps led by Msgr. Carmine Rocco and other ranking government officials.
Ambassador Fuentes was cited for his service in the field of international relations and for his contributions to the furtherance of firm and friendly ties between Mexico and Philippines.
The Mexican envoy was also cited for having initiated steps for greater exchanges along cultural and commercial fields between the two countries and peoples, through trade and cultural missions, as well as friendly visits between government representatives
The ambassador was schedule to return to his home office for reassignment after having served in the Philippines for more than two years.
Earlier, the President participated in a religious ritual marking the departure from Malacañang the image of Our Lady of Fatima which had been brought to the Palace, in the course of its annual visits to churches, hospitals and charity institutions in the Greater Manila area.
Following the diplomatic rites where the President and members of the diplomatic corps also exchange toasts, the President received a number of callers, among them Ambassador Pelagio Llamas.
Ambassador Llamas called for final instructions before assuming his new post as Philippine envoy to the Republic of China. Formerly Consul General in New Orleans, Ambassador Llamas succeeded Ambassador Victorino Paredes who was assigned to the consulate general in Kobe, Japan.
Other Palace visitors were Mayor Norberto Amoranto of Quezon City who had asked for financial assistance in the completion of the new 15-storey City Hall. Rep. Constantino Navarro and Gov. Jose C. Sering of Surigao del norte who sought aid for flood victims in their province, Rep. Indanan Anni of Sulu and U.S. Ambassador Henry Byroade.
Among others, the Chief Executive issued a proclamation further extending up to February 28, 1972 the national education and fund campaign of the PANAMIN Foundation, Inc. to enable it to reach its minimum goal of P3 million to finance its humanitarian activities.
The extension was requested by FANAMIN Secretary Manuel Elizalde, Jr. who informed the President that the fund raising drive of the foundation had been interrupted by natural disasters such as typhoons, and the preoccupation of the people with important events such as the election of Constitutional Convention delegates and the visit here of Pope Paul VI in 1979.
In the afternoon, the President ordered the sending out of copies of his form letter asking citizens for direct comments on the government institution and their kind of service and adsii8ng for suggestions on how to improve the public service without any cost on the part of the citizens.
At the same time, the President called upon all officials and employees of the government to implement an institutionalized “ombudsman” in their respective offices, by encouraging citizens having official dealings with them to answer a questionnaire on the kind of service they get from government offices.
The ombudsman is part of the democratic revolution the government has launched, and one of the main vehicles in trying to involve everyone m this movement.
The President’s letter said:
“Together we have embarked on a democratic revolution, One ol our main vehicles in our common struggle is our government.
“I am as deeply concerned as you are with the services that you get from our government. It is continuously working to improve its public servants and its procedures in order to make it an effective vehicle of our revolution.
“I therefore ask and encourage you to write to me. Tell me what is wrong with it and what yon think I ran do to improve it, I have attached here a form which you can use, and mail to me without cost to you.
“Thank you for your contribution to push our democratic revolution to victory.”
The President, through Executive Secretary Alejandro Melchor, Jr., also promulgated the guidelines to be followed by its financing institutions in setting down rules and regulations to govern their respective programs on housing for low salaried workers.
I write this as I Monday
await some callers across
the river
“There is bound to be an inevitable confrontation between the communists and our democracy in the military front,” I have always said. And some intellectuals who were with Imelda and whom she brought in to see me confirm this analysis of mine (Father Horacio de la Costa, Abe [Emilio Aguilar] Cruz and Chitang [Carmen] Guerrero Nakpil).
The communists gamble that the Republic will be too weak by then as they will have sapped its vitality. Or that they will have become so strong that they can match their military against ours. Or they may be hoping that the China experience will be repeated where the economy became so debilitated, the inflation beyond control after Chiang Kai Shek failed to follow through his initial successes against Mao Tsetung and allowed him to regroup his men in the north, fell to the trap of losing time by negotiations (at the insistence of the U.S. so he now claims) for unity, that Chiang’s government fell by its own dead weight.
I have also said that if we do not now take measures of self-preservation, this will come about.
My democratic revolution will rally the great majority of our people around our republic. But it will not stop the communists from continuing their unrelenting fight. They will not be content with anything less than the overthrow of the republic, no matter how long it takes and at whatever cost.
So if there is going to be an inevitable collision, then perhaps we should induce it now while the communists are weak and unorganized.
The most touching letter I have received so far is one from Father Jose A. Cruz, a Jesuit and my retreat master several times. The letter was sent today through the daughter of Ex-Speaker Cornelio Villareal, who is now a nun.
It came when I was thinking the thoughts embodied in it—that contemporary writers will not appreciate what I am doing; that I face the sad prospect of present condemnation and future vindication; that I may lose all my friends and present admirers before my crusade is over; that even my family may not understand what I hope to achieve; and that my whole life is bound to
The guidelines were spelled out to the chairman and general manager of the GSIS, and the chairman and administrator of the SSS. The memorandum asked the following points be considered;
1. A loan coverage of P7,500 minimum and P12,000 maximum.
2. Amortization period of 25 years,
3. No collateral other than the workers’ house and lot, both of which are to be financed.
4. Financing of the full value of the workers’ house and lot.
The memorandum asked the respective boards of directors of the GSIS and the SSS to convene an early meeting to consider the adoption of liberalized rules and regulations governing the workers’ housing programs, according to the aforementioned guidelines.
Secretary Melchor asked the GSIS and the SSS heads to submit their respective reports on the action taken by their boards
be a life of controversy and tension and I shall know no peace.
So I was on the verge of tears when I read it.
I attach the letter.
Ambassador [Henry] Byroade came to see me about his trip to Washington. He says one half of his time was spent on the question I posed him in a most informal manner what the reaction would be to our decision which I told him was already made to establish trade relations with the USSR [Union of Soviet Socialist Republics] and other European socialist countries (and later on diplomatic relations).
I made him understand that after the Foreign Policy Council meets, trade relations and/or diplomatic relations would be a matter of time.
He had taken the proper attitude that this was an act of sovereignty that the U.S. could not intervene in.
But I insisted that what I wanted to know was the true attitude of the U.S. president, Congress, businessmen and public in general, not diplomatic niceties.
I had before this asked him to tell me frankly if the American government would support me if there was need to declare martial law to save the country from the communists. [Richard] Nixon’s answer was “Absolutely!”
I attach the two typewritten memos on the USSR.
Amb. Byroade also informed me of the U.S. government decision to transfer the Caribbean typhoon moderation complex from there to the Pacific possibly in Guam. They cannot possibly do so this year as they lack equipment (only four laboratory planes when they need 14) and personnel. The principle that is being developed is rain-making by cloud seeding to lower the strength of the winds to 60 miles which is moderate compared to the 200 mile ones we have been getting in some of the 20 typhoons last year.
Then we get the $20 million aid from PL [Public Law] 480, $15 million loan to our electrification program (jointly with Japan and as a part of the package of the Consultative group which meets in Paris, if the Japanese agree to this venue, on April 26th, this year).
There are other forms of aid—close to a million for the work on typhoon damage prevention—actually concrete roofing. And some other projects.
I have ordered all the conflicts on the oil concessions to be settled so that we can get the oil exploration moving. Twelve applications were sent back to the Bureau of Mines for their study and recommendation.
Alex [Alejandro] Melchor [Jr.] and Maj. [Jose] Almonte are showing an undue interest in the release of [Ernesto Macahiya and the dropping of the charges against him and the men caught with him who were armed. I have asked Sec. [Juan] Ponce Enrile and Gen. [Manuel] Yan to review the case but to decide it on the basis of the evidence.
I feel that Alex is unduly influenced by the UP [University of the Philippines] intellectuals for whom we all have sympathy.
The strike has failed to stop traffic but there are several incidents like the shooting of a student [Pastor “Sonny” Mesina, Jr.] in the head by Prof. Innocente Campos when a human blockade stopped his car and a pillbox was thrown at it burning it. He pursued his assailants and shot at the crowd hitting a student in the head. The professor is a mathematics wizard and branded a Marcos sympathizer in the U.P.
Marcos is referring to the barricade of the UP campus from February 1-9, 1971 by students and faculty to: protest the 3-centavo increase in oil prices, support the transport strike called by jeepney drivers, and resist military intrusion into the campus. Popularly known as the “Diliman Commune” it also commemorated the first year anniversary of the series of protest actions against the Marcos Administration that ran from January to March 1970 and is known as the “First Quarter Storm.”